


never fade away

by demonicneonfishy



Series: february angst-fest (febuwhump 2021) [11]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Andy | Andromache of Scythia Needs a Hug, F/F, Hallucinations, Pre-Canon, Searching for Quynh | Noriko, guest appearance by nicolo di genova
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29361945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonicneonfishy/pseuds/demonicneonfishy
Summary: day 11 of febuwhump 2021prompt: hallucination(title from starlight, muse)
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko
Series: february angst-fest (febuwhump 2021) [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141784
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	never fade away

**Author's Note:**

> day 11 of febuwhump 2021  
> prompt: hallucination  
> (title from starlight, muse)

Sometimes, she sees Quynh.

She hears her laughter on the wind but there’s nobody there. She sees a flash of dark hair in her peripheral vision but it’s gone when she turns to look. She hears Quynh’s voice, calling for her at night, and runs out onto the deck to be met only with a cold sea.

Nico and Yusuf don’t ask. She sees them glancing at each other when she stops mid-sentence and turns to look for someone who isn’t there, but they never say a word. 

Tonight, she’d woken from a nightmare -  _ drowning, drowning, screaming but nobody can hear her -  _ and stumbled out onto the deck. The sea is calm, the night clear. She leans against the railing of the deck and stares down into the water as if she’ll be able to see Quynh’s coffin, as if she could swim down far enough if only she tried.

_ Until the end _ . This cannot be their end.

“Andromache,” Quynh whispers behind her.

Andromache freezes.  _ It’s not real, she’s not here, it’s not real- _

Quynh says her name again, and she turns. 

It can’t be possible. It can’t be, and yet Quynh is standing right there in front of her.

“Quynh,” she breathes, and Quynh smiles and nods.

She steps towards her, but Quynh steps back, her smile turning sad. 

“You’re not really here, are you?” Andromache asks.

Quynh shakes her head. “No, my heart.”

“Where are you?”  _ Why can’t I find you? _

“Far away from here.”

Andromache has to blink away her tears. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I’m trying to find you but I can’t.”

“I know.” Quynh reaches out but doesn’t touch her. “Don’t forget me, Andromache.”

“I won’t.” She steps forward. “I could never, I’ll find you, I promise.”

Quynh smiles at her again. But she’s fading before Andromache’s eyes. 

Andromache reaches for her, desperately, as if she can somehow keep Quynh with her for just a little longer, and her fingers pass through empty air.

“Don’t, please,” she begs. “Don’t leave me.”

“I love you,” Quynh says, her voice no louder than the whispers of the waves around them, and fades away.

Andromache stands there for a moment, frozen.

“Andromache,” someone behind her says, placing a hand on her shoulder. She whirls without thinking, drawing her knife-

Nico catches her wrist gently and takes the knife, setting it aside.

“I heard you speaking,” he says softly, eyes bright in the moonlight. “Are you okay?”

_ I’m fine, _ is what she means to say.  _ Go back to sleep _ .

She opens her mouth to speak, and can’t find the words.

Without another word, Nico pulls her into a tight embrace, and she buries her face in her shoulder, closing her eyes and trying to fight the urge to cry.

**Author's Note:**

> i already used hallucinations before on day 2 so. more hallucinations?  
> -  
> i'm demonicneonfishy on tumblr too if you wanna come say hi!! (or yell at me for the angst)


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